White-Winged Wood Duck

Asarcornis scutulata 

Studbook Keeper:

Deniele Brown, Akron Zoological Park 

The white-winged wood duck (Asarcornis scutulata), also known as the white-winged duck, is a large, shy waterfowl species classified as Endangered due to rapid population declines. It inhabits lowland tropical forests of South and Southeast Asia, where it relies on quiet freshwater wetlands such as forest ponds, swamps, and slow-moving streams with dense surrounding vegetation. This species is mostly crepuscular and often found alone or in pairs. Its diet is omnivorous, consisting of seeds, aquatic plants, fallen fruits, insects, mollusks, and occasionally small fish. Major threats include deforestation, wetland drainage, and hunting, which have severely reduced its already fragmented range.